Spanning 11 seasons, the Paul Mainieri Era at LSU has been distinguished by tremendous success in all facets of the Fighting Tiger baseball program.

Mainieri has guided the Tigers to the 2009 College World Series national championship and five CWS appearances in the past 10 years. During Mainieri's tenure, LSU has captured a remarkable 29 team championships, including the 2009 NCAA title, seven NCAA Regional championships, five NCAA Super Regional championships, four Southeastern Conference championships, six SEC Tournament titles and six SEC Western Division crowns.

Most recently, Mainieri led the 2017 Tigers to a national runners-up finish at the College World Series. The '17 team also captured the Southeastern Conference championship, the SEC Tournament title and the SEC Western Division crown. The Tigers won 52 games, marking the 13th 50-win season in LSU history and the fourth during Mainieri's tenure.

Mainieri has a 512-202-3 (.716) mark at LSU, and he has the second-highest winning percentage in SEC history, trailing only former LSU coach Skip Bertman, who was 870-330-3 (.724) in 18 seasons from 1984-2001.

Under Mainieri, the Tigers have earned an NCAA Tournament National Seed in each of the past six seasons, making LSU and Stanford (1999-2004) the only schools in NCAA history to capture six straight National Seeds.

Mainieri has guided LSU to the nation's highest win total over the past 10 seasons (484 wins from 2008-17). Since 2008, LSU has earned eight NCAA Tournament National Seeds, the best mark in the country over that 10-year span.

Mainieri has coached 11 first-team All-Americans at LSU, and 15 of his former Tigers have played Major League Baseball.

His sincere commitment to everyday excellence was recognized in a substantial way on January 3, 2014, in Dallas when he was inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Mainieri, a four-time National Coach of the Year, joined in the Hall of Fame his father, Demie Mainieri, who coached Miami-Dade North Community College to 1,012 wins and a national title in his 30-year career. Demie and Paul Mainieri are the only father-son combination in the ABCA Hall of Fame.

Mainieri has a 1,376-694-8 (.664) record in 35 seasons of collegiate coaching at St. Thomas University (1984-88), Air Force (1989-94), Notre Dame (1995-2006) and LSU (2007-present). He is No. 4 on the career wins list for active NCAA coaches, No. 10 in all-time NCAA wins, and he is one of only seven coaches in NCAA history to have won over 1,300 games and a national championship.

LSU players have been chosen in the Major League Baseball Draft on 73 occasions during Mainieri's tenure, including a first-round selection in seven of the past nine seasons - outfielder Jared Mitchell in 2009, pitcher Anthony Ranaudo in 2010, outfielder Mikie Mahtook in 2011, pitcher Kevin Gausman in 2012, pitcher Aaron Nola in 2014, shortstop Alex Bregman in 2015 and pitcher Alex Lange in 2017. The first six players developed into first-round selections under Mainieri after being drafted out of high school (Mitchell, 10th round; Ranaudo, 11th round; Mahtook, 39th round; Gausman, sixth round; Nola, 22nd round; and Bregman, 29th round). Lange was undrafted out of high school and developed into a first-round pick at LSU.

Mainieri's commitment to academic excellence has been illustrated by the Tigers' performance in the classroom as 115 LSU players have received SEC Academic Honor Roll recognition over the past 11 seasons.

Mainieri has established an active community service function within the baseball program, as the Tigers regularly visit hospitals and schools in the Baton Rouge area. The team also participates in the ALS Walk -- promoting awareness of the treatment of Lou Gehrig's Disease -- and in the Buddy Walk, which is designed to encourage acceptance and inclusion of people with Down Syndrome.

When Mainieri was hired as LSU's coach in June 2006, he expressed a clear vision for the future of the Fighting Tiger program.

“Make no mistake about it,” he said. “The goal is to return LSU to the pinnacle position in college baseball. I have all the confidence in the world that we can do that here.”

Just three years later, LSU did indeed occupy the pinnacle position in college baseball as the 2009 NCAA National Champions. Mainieri directed the '09 Tigers to the College World Series title, posting a 56-17 overall record, including a 10-1 mark in NCAA Tournament competition.

The Tigers defeated Texas in the CWS Championship Finals to win the national title, LSU's sixth CWS championship and its first since 2000. Mainieri also guided his squad to the 2009 Southeastern Conference regular-season and tournament titles.

The Nation’s Winningest Program Since 2012

Under Mainieri's leadership, LSU has 301 victories over the past six years and 484 wins over the past 10 seasons - the most in the nation in those spans - and the Tigers are the only team in the country to have earned an NCAA Tournament National Seed in each of the past six seasons. The streak of six straight National Seeds has been accomplished just one other time in NCAA history, by Stanford from 1999-2004. LSU has four Top 5 and six Top 10 finishes in the college baseball polls over the past 10 seasons.

Mainieri's 2017 squad advanced all the way to the College World Series Finals, where the Tigers were defeated by Florida and finished as national runners-up. LSU, a consensus No. 2 in the final rankings, won five championships in 2017 - the Tigers were SEC regular-season champions, SEC Western Division champions, SEC Tournament champions, NCAA Regional champions and NCAA Super Regional champions.

For the first time in its College World Series history, LSU won three straight elimination games in 2017, reaching the CWS Finals by eliminating Florida State and top-ranked Oregon State, which had a 56-4 record before suffering two straight losses to the Tigers. The 2017 Tigers won 20 of their last 23 games and 25 of their last 30, and the squad compiled a 17-game win streak from May 11-June 17. LSU had a 27-15 record on April 25, but went 25-5 over its final 30 contests.

Six LSU players were selected in the first nine rounds of the 2017 MLB Draft, including pitcher Alex Lange, a first-round selection of the Chicago Cubs.

Despite returning just one starting position player from the previous season, Mainieri led the 2016 LSU squad to the Tigers' fifth straight NCAA Tournament National Seed. LSU and Stanford – which earned six in a row from 1999-2004 – are the only schools to secure five consecutive National Seeds. The '16 Tigers won the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional title, and LSU played host to a Super Regional for the fourth time in five seasons. Eight LSU players were selected in the 2016 MLB Draft, including outfielder Jake Fraley in the second round by the Tampa Bay Rays.

Mainieri was named in 2015 the winner of the Skip Bertman Award as the National Coach of the Year, as he led the Tigers to a nation's-best 54 wins, the SEC regular-season title and a berth in the College World Series. He also received 2015 National Coach of the Year recognition from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

The '15 Tigers, who were ranked No. 1 for 10 consecutive weeks during the season, produced three first-team All-America players – shortstop Alex Bregman, pitcher Alex Lange and catcher Kade Scivicque – a mark that tied the school record set in 2013. LSU produced five first-team All-SEC performers, also tying a school record established in 2013. Eight Tigers were selected in the 2015 MLB Draft, including Bregman, the No. 2 overall pick by the Houston Astros.

Mainieri guided the 2014 squad to a 46-16-1 record and a No. 8 National Seed in the NCAA Tournament, marking the third consecutive season the Tigers have earned a National Seed. LSU also leads the nation with 150 victories over the last three years. The '14 Tigers claimed LSU's fifth SEC Tournament title in the past seven seasons, and the LSU pitching staff led the nation with a school-record 17 shutouts. The staff featured junior right-hander Aaron Nola, who earned National Pitcher of the Year recognition and was voted SEC Pitcher of the Year for the second straight season. Nola, who was 11-1 with a 1.47 ERA, was the first-round selection (seventh pick overall) by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2014 MLB Draft.

Mainieri led the 2013 squad to an SEC record-tying 57 victories (57-11) and a berth in the College World Series. The '13 Tigers captured four championships during a remarkable year, winning the SEC Western Division, the SEC Tournament, an NCAA Regional and an NCAA Super Regional. LSU also established a school record for SEC regular-season victories with a 23-7 league mark.

The 2013 team featured three first-team all-Americans, a first for the distinguished LSU Baseball program. Shortstop Alex Bregman was named National Freshman of the Year and the winner of the Brooks Wallace Award as the nation's best shortstop; SEC Pitcher of the Year Aaron Nola was 12-1 on the mound with a 1.57 ERA; and first baseman Mason Katz batted .370 and led the SEC with 16 homers and 70 RBI.

Mainieri was a finalist for the 2013 Skip Bertman National Coach of the Year award, and a school-record nine Tigers were selected in the ‘13 Major League Baseball Draft.

Mainieri guided the 2012 squad to LSU's second SEC championship in four seasons, as the Tigers posted a 47-18 overall mark and captured the league title with a 19-11conference record. LSU was named the No. 7 National Seed for the 2012 NCAA Tournament, and the Tigers won the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional before playing host to a Super Regional in Alex Box Stadium.

The 2012 team featured two first-team all-Americans – outfielder Raph Rhymes and pitcher Kevin Gausman. Rhymes led the nation in hitting with a .431 (100-for-232) average, and he was named SEC Player of the Year. Gausman was 12-2 on the mound with a 2.77 ERA, and he was the fourth overall selection in the 2012 MLB Draft by the Baltimore Orioles.

Mainieri guided a young 2011 LSU squad to a 36-20 mark, including a 12-3 record over the final 15 games of the season. Though the Tigers finished strong, LSU fell just short of qualifying for the NCAA Tournament. Despite not reaching the postseason, Mainieri and Tigers laid a solid foundation from which to build championship-caliber teams.

Outfielder Mikie Mahtook became the third first-team all-American of the Mainieri era in 2011, and two Tigers - pitcher Kurt McCune and second baseman JaCoby Jones - earned Freshman All-America recognition.

Mainieri's 2010 LSU squad won its third straight SEC Tournament title and advanced to an NCAA Regional for the third consecutive year. LSU posted a 41-22 overall mark that was highlighted by four straight victories in the SEC Tournament in Hoover, Ala. LSU became the first team to win three consecutive conference tournament titles in the format that was adopted by the league in 1996.

Mainieri reached a coaching milestone on the second playing date of the 2010 season, as he earned his 1,000th career victory when LSU defeated Centenary, 25-8, on February 20 in Alex Box Stadium.

2009 - The National Championship Season

LSU's magnificent 2009 season began with LSU ranked No. 1 in the polls and ended with the Tigers still occupying college baseball's summit.

LSU won its first Southeastern Conference regular-season title since 2003, posting a 20-10 SEC mark. The Tigers then became the first league school since Alabama in 2002-03 to win consecutive SEC Tournament titles.

LSU played host to the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional, where the Tigers defeated Southern, Baylor and Minnesota to set up a Super Regional matchup versus Rice in Alex Box Stadium. LSU swept two games from the Owls, earning a berth to the CWS for the second straight season and for the 15th time in school history.

The Tigers defeated Virginia in their CWS opener and recorded two wins over Arkansas to advance to the CWS Championship Finals versus Texas. Trailing 6-4 in the ninth inning of Game 1, the Tigers staged a dramatic two-run rally and eventually prevailed, 7-6, in 11 innings. The Longhorns posted a 5-1 win in Game 2; however, LSU overwhelmed UT, 11-4, in the deciding game to claim the NCAA championship trophy.

Thirteen LSU players received 2009 SEC Academic Honor Roll recognition, and six Tigers were selected in the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft, including four in the first five rounds. Outfielder Jared Mitchell was the first-round choice of the Chicago White Sox, as LSU produced a first-round selection for the first time since 2003.

Also among the drafted players was Louis Coleman, a 2009 First-Team all-American and the SEC Pitcher of the Year chosen in the fifth round by the Kansas City Royals.

2008 - Return to Omaha

Mainieri first guided LSU back into prominence in 2008 as the Tigers advanced to the College World Series, earning a berth to Omaha for the first time since 2004.

Mainieri, named 2008 National Coach of the Year by Rivals.com and by CollegeBaseballInsider.com, directed the Tigers to a 49-19-1 record. LSU, which was predicted to finish fifth in the SEC Western Division in the preseason league coaches' poll, won 26 of its final 29 games during a remarkable late-season surge.

Mainieri's promise to LSU fans to attract the nation's best players had been fulfilled during his staff's first recruiting season, as Collegiate Baseball magazine rated the Tigers' 2007 class No. 1 in the country. The recruiting class -- which included nine players selected in the Major League Baseball Draft -- combined with LSU's returning players to form an outstanding 2008 club.

With four weeks remaining in the regular season, the '08 LSU club was 23-16-1 overall and in 11th place in the overall SEC standings with a 6-11-1 record; however, the Tigers posted a conference-record 23-game win streak that saw LSU claim the SEC Western Division title, the SEC Tournament championship and the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional championship.

LSU's 23-game surge ended with a loss to UC Irvine in Game 1 of the NCAA Baton Rouge Super Regional, but the Tigers won the next two games over the Anteaters to advance to the College World Series for the 14th time in school history and for the first time since 2004. LSU placed fifth in Omaha with a 1-2 record, marking the Tigers' first Top 5 CWS finish since the 2000 squad claimed the national title.

Fourteen LSU baseball players – the most in the program's history – were named to the 2008 Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll.

Building the LSU Foundation

It is Mainieri's goal to finish his collegiate baseball career in the same place it began 41 years ago. He earned a letter in 1976 as a freshman outfielder at LSU, where he also met his future wife, Karen, then a Fighting Tiger cheerleader. He completed his playing career at the University of New Orleans, and, after enjoying great success as a head coach at St. Thomas (Fla.) University, the Air Force Academy and Notre Dame, Mainieri returned to Baton Rouge for the 2007 season eager to enhance the Fighting Tigers' storied tradition.

Mainieri and his staff laid the foundation for the future of the LSU program during the ‘07 season, as the Tigers posted a 29-26-1 overall mark. Despite its inexperience -- the Tigers often featured four true freshmen in the batting order -- LSU was in contention for an NCAA Tournament bid through the final weekend of the regular season.

The ‘07 Tigers won four SEC series over Top 25 teams, as LSU posted series victories over No. 3 Arkansas, No. 13 Ole Miss, No. 15 Mississippi State (a 2007 CWS participant) and No. 25 Alabama.

LSU was led by junior right-hander Jared Bradford, a second-team All-SEC selection who posted either a win or a save in 10 of the Tigers' 12 SEC victories. Outfielder Blake Dean and catcher Sean Ochinko each received Freshman All-SEC recognition for their outstanding rookie seasons.

At Notre Dame (1995-2006)

Mainieri established an unparalleled standard of excellence during his tenure at Notre Dame (1995-2006), leading his teams to 11 40-win seasons, nine conference titles, nine NCAA Regional appearances and a berth in the 2002 College World Series, marking the school's first CWS trip since 1957.

Mainieri led to Notre Dame to an NCAA Regional in every season from 1999-2006, making the Irish one of 10 teams to appear in every NCAA Tournament in that eight-year span.

Sixty of Mainieri's Notre Dame players were drafted or signed free-agent contracts, and 19 were selected in the first 10 rounds of the Major League draft. His Irish players also combined for 14 All-America and 10 Academic All-America seasons.

Mainieri's Notre Dame teams combined for a 100-percent graduation rate (71 of 71) among players who completed their eligibility. Notre Dame was the only Division I baseball program to produce Academic All-Americans each year from 2000-04, with two honored every season from 2000-03.

Seven of Mainieri's former Notre Dame players reached the Major League level, including six pitchers – Brad Lidge, Aaron Heilman, Jeff Samardzija, Jeff Manship , John Axford, and Christian Parker. Former Irish infielder Matt Macri made his big league debut in 2008.

In the Mainieri era, nine of 13 Irish players who were drafted out of high school went on to be drafted in a higher round at Notre Dame, while 24 who were undrafted as prep players went on to be drafted as members of the Irish program.

In 12 seasons of Big East Conference play, the Irish won more league games (192-67-2, .740) than any other team in the conference. Mainieri owns the top career Big East winning percentage (.740) in the history of the league and four of his teams posted 20-plus wins in Big East play.

Mainieri was voted in 2005 to the position of the ABCA's chair of the Division I Baseball Coaches – which he held for three years. He was also a member of the ABCA executive committee.

Mainieri served on the NCAA Division I Baseball Issues Committee, and he was a member of the NCAA Academic Enhancement Working Group.

Mainieri established in 2002 the Opening Night Dinner at Notre Dame, an event that he continues to hold each year at LSU. The event, now known as the First Pitch Banquet, has featured an impressive lineup of keynote speakers: Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda, former Chicago Cubs GM Jim Hendry, Golden Spikes Award winner Ben McDonald, two-time MLB World Series champion Ryan Theriot, ESPN baseball analyst Kyle Peterson, award-winning author John Grisham and legendary pitcher Roger Clemens.

Mainieri’s Early Years

A former Chicago White Sox farmhand, Mainieri was the first civilian baseball coach at Air Force and averaged 26 wins in six seasons (1989-'94) for a program that averaged just 15 wins in the six previous years. He became the only Air Force baseball coach to post six straight 20-win seasons, and his 1994 squad led the nation in hitting (.360), slugging (.623) and triples (0.76 per game).

Mainieri guided the 1993 Air Force team to its first winning season in nearly a decade (28-22), with a school-record 21 wins at home. He coached three All-Americans, two Freshman All-Americans and two Academic All-Americans with the Falcons.

Mainieri coached six seasons at St. Thomas University in Miami, Fla. Four of Mainieri's teams at St. Thomas were ranked in the NCAA Division II Top 10 during the season. The 1984 Sunshine State Conference Coach of the Year saw his St. Thomas teams average 30 wins per season (after an average of just 18 wins in the six previous years). St. Thomas named its new baseball facility in Mainieri's honor in March 2013.

Fifteen of Mainieri's St. Thomas players entered pro baseball, with Joe Klink, Dane Johnson and Dan Rohrmeier each going on to appear on Major League rosters. Klink played with the 1987 Minnesota Twins and 1989 Oakland A's World Series championship teams while also pitching with the Florida Marlins in 1994.

Mainieri's coaching career began at his alma mater, Columbus High School in Miami, where he served as assistant baseball and football coach for three years before taking over at St. Thomas in the fall of 1982. He also spent the final three years at St. Thomas as director of athletics.

Mainieri was inducted into the Columbus High School Sports Hall of Fame in October 2009.

A four-year letterwinner in college, Mainieri played one season at LSU, one season for his father, legendary JUCO coach Demie Mainieri, at Miami-Dade North Community College, and two seasons at the University of New Orleans. The second baseman helped the Privateers win two Sun Belt Conference titles and advance to the 1979 NCAA Tournament during his senior season.

After completing his undergraduate degree requirements at Florida International (1980), Mainieri played two minor-league seasons before earning a master's in sports administration from St. Thomas in 1982.

Born August 29, 1957, in Morgantown, W.Va., Mainieri and his wife, Karen, have four children – Nicholas (33), Alexandra (32), Samantha (30) and Thomas (22), and two grandsons, Holden and Jonathan.

Mainieri's Mentors

Paul Mainieri grew up around the game of baseball on a daily basis and, as the son of a Hall of Fame coach, had the good fortune to be exposed to several outstanding coaches.

Mainieri cites three primary influences in his development as a coach, headed by his father Demie Mainieri, who coached Miami-Dade North Community College to 1,012 wins and a national title in his 30-year career.

"My father laid the foundation for identifying the correct reasons to enter into the coaching profession," says Mainieri.

"Despite his success that he may have encountered, my father emphasized to me that a coach was a teacher first and foremost. Watching how he made such a positive impact on young people's lives was the greatest factor for me wanting to follow in his footsteps."

Mainieri spent his final two seasons as an infielder at the University of New Orleans, where he had the good fortune of playing for legendary UNO coach Ron Maestri.

"Coach Maestri showed me how a high intensity level and work ethic can translate into success," recalls Mainieri. "He used to do the little things-like drag the field and go into the community to raise support - and his charisma resulted in the construction of a beautiful ballpark for our team.

"He pushed his team hard but would do anything for his players, and his players were very loyal to him. Coach Maestri also relayed to me the importance of recruiting the best athletes - meaning shortstops - and we had six or seven high school shortstops in our everyday lineup."

During his early days in coaching, Mainieri had the chance to meet former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda and has maintained a friendship with one of the game's greatest ambassadors.

"Tommy has advised me in so many areas, it's hard to specify any areas of emphasis," says Mainieri of Lasorda, the keynote speaker at the 2008 LSU First Pitch Banquet. "I think from him I really realized how important it is to bring joy to the ballpark every day. The players definitely follow your lead as the coach and the enthusiasm you show for your job will rub off on them."

Mainieri readily credits his success to the guidance of those three Hall of Famers.

"To this day, I still regularly call each of these men to ask for their advice," he says. "I think it's safe to say I've learned from the best!"

Mainieri’s Protégés

Paul Mainieri's influence extends throughout the game of baseball, as several of his former assistant coaches and players presently work as coaches or administrators: